Title 48Territories and Insular PossessionsRelease 119-73not60

§1973 Freely Associated State Air Carrier

Title 48 › Chapter 18— MICRONESIA, MARSHALL ISLANDS, AND PALAU › Subchapter III— MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS › § 1973

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

To help carry out the goals of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985 (Public Law 99–239), a Freely Associated State Air Carrier may fly people, their personal belongings, and cargo between the United States and a Freely Associated State, and within a Freely Associated State, even if other laws would otherwise prevent it. That permission covers passengers and goods that the U.S. government or its agencies buy, contract for, pay for, or provide, and items or services given to foreign governments or international or other organizations without expecting payment back. The term "Freely Associated State Air Carrier" only means the carrier named in Article IX(5)(b) of the Federal Programs and Services Agreement made under Article II of Title Two and Section 232 of the Compact of Free Association.

Full Legal Text

Title 48, §1973

Territories and Insular Possessions — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In furtherance of the objectives of the Compact of Free Association Act of 1985 (Public Law 99–239) [48 U.S.C. 1901 et seq., 2001 et seq.] and notwithstanding any other provision of law, a Freely Associated State Air Carrier shall not be precluded from providing transportation, between a place in the United States and a place in a state in free association with the United States or between two places in such a freely associated state, by air of persons (and their personal effects) and property procured, contracted for, or otherwise obtained by any executive department or other agency or instrumentality of the United States for its own account or in furtherance of the purposes or pursuant to the terms of any contract, agreement, or other special arrangement made or entered into under which payment is made by the United States or payment is made from funds appropriated, owned, controlled, granted, or conditionally granted, or utilized by or otherwise established for the account of the United States, or shall be furnished to or for the account of any foreign nation, or any international agency, or other organization of whatever nationality, without provisions for reimbursement.
(b)The term “Freely Associated State Air Carrier” shall apply exclusively to a carrier referred to in Article IX(5)(b) of the Federal Programs and Services Agreement concluded pursuant to Article II of Title Two and section 232 of the Compact of Free Association.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Compact of Free Association Act of 1985, referred to in subsec. (a), is Pub. L. 99–239, Jan. 14, 1986, 99 Stat. 1770, which is classified principally to part A of subchapter I of this chapter and chapter 19 (§ 2001 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see

Short Title

note set out under section 1901 of this title and Tables. The Compact of Free Association, referred to in subsec. (b), probably means the Compact of Free Association between the Government of the United States and the Governments of the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia, which is contained in section 201 of Pub. L. 99–239, set out as a note under section 1901 of this title. Codification Section was formerly set out as a note under section 1681 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

48 U.S.C. § 1973

Title 48Territories and Insular Possessions

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60